


New beginnings

by ianwritesthings



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: ?? - Freeform, Dogs, Fluff, Graduation, M/M, Other pairings and the such will be added, Pining, Slow Burn, bonding over dogs, dog park au, i think, i'll fill this entire tag for myself you fucking cowards, kyoutana
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-19
Updated: 2018-03-09
Packaged: 2018-12-31 12:39:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12132690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ianwritesthings/pseuds/ianwritesthings
Summary: Kyoutani Kentarou doesn't have many friends. It's kind of always been that way since he was a kid. It wasn't like he didn't want to have friends, he just...never had any.He takes solace in his dog, Rin, and daily trips to the dog park with her. Except after entangling leashes with Tanaka Ryuunosuke, will his dog lead him into new relationships?





	1. Entangling leashes- and fates?

Though Kyoutani would be hard pressed to admit it, Rin is probably the closest thing to a friend he has. He currently goes to Aoba Johsai, but after a rough year both in the volleyball club and out of it, he’s thinking about transferring. After a rough practice with Oikawa bothering him with the stupid nicknames, he was always glad to come home to Rin and get covered in sloppy licks and kisses. They were gross, he got all messy, but he still loved it anyways. 

 

Kyoutani might look like a scary hardass, which he supposes he can be at times, his softer side is ever present with his dog at his side, wagging her tail so hard it knocks over at least two things crowding around him while he plucks the leash and harness off the hook by the door. He doesn’t bother even going inside just yet, since his mom knows he always takes her for a walk before he comes home, so he stays in the mudroom while her tail hits against his leg and she jumps onto his leg with an eager whine. “Okay okay, i’m going. Sit, Rin,” he requests. She’s smarter than he is, if he’s being honest.

 

Rin is excitable, but very smart, and so she sits, though her tail is still wagging against the floor and her ears are perked up as he slips the harness onto her. He’s extremely passionate about dogs, which is maybe why the nickname “Mad dog-chan” hurt so much for him, but he doesn’t dwell on it. He loops the leash through his belt loop and shoves his keys into his shorts pocket as he opens the door, feeling the insistent tug on the leash already. She’s high energy for a dog, but he’s a good fit for her. He works out a lot, and she keeps pace easily, which gives him a good companion for working out instead of just running on his own. He used to listen to music on his runs, but he finds that her company is enough now.

 

He plans to loop around for a good five miles or so and end at the dog park so she can run wild there and socialize with other dogs. Kyoutani wishes that he were more approachable so she could have more consistant dog friends. He tries not to dwell on it for now though, getting lost in the wind on his face and the slam of his feet against hard pavement with the pant of her breath as she runs by his side. He distantly notices others passing in blurs of color, but the run passes far too quickly and he wishes he could go longer. 

 

Rin could go longer, but he knows if he stays out she wouldn’t get time at the dog park, which she loves, so he cuts off his running time at the sight of the dog park. 

 

It’s nothing special- just a big portion of land for dogs to run on together with water bowls by the entrance. He feels exposed here, but he steels himself for some dog owner staring at him like usual. Instead, he bumps shoulders with a teen that looks about his age and reminds him a bit of himself. Their dogs bark, tails wagging excitedly and their leashes become almost hopelessly entangled the second they get into the dog park.

 

“Sorry sorry! He’s super excited, Leo would you  _ stop, _ ” the other boy scolds, and Kyoutani almost laughs. Their voice is nice, somewhat pleasant and they don’t seem to be judging him which is a nice change. 

 

“No, it’s alright. Rin isn’t a ton better either.” Both of them spare each other sheepish grins, finally managing to get untangled and he unclips Rin so she can run off to play with their dog. Instead though, she jumps up, paws on their chest and almost bowling the poor guy over. 

 

“Rin!“ he scolds without much heat “Down, Rin.” She goes down, after giving the boy a sloppy lick on the chin and runs off before he can scold her properly. Ah, well. It’s almost a hopeless case anyhow by now, since she’s nearly seven years old. The other boy just laughs though, rubbing the slobber off his chin without a second thought with a sparkle in his eyes like he didn’t mind at all.

 

“It’s fine,” he says before Kyoutani can say anything, leaving him with a half formed apology stuck in his throat. “Leo is the same way anyhow. I don’t get him to the dog park enough.”

 

Kyoutani pauses to take him in, now that their dogs aren’t trying to trip them up. Their skin is darker than his, and their buzzcut is pretty close to the scalp compared to his but it looks good on them. Their eyes are stormy grey and despite how earnest they look, he can tell they’d intimidate most people. 

 

“Leo is your dog’s name, right?”

 

“Ah, yeah. I’m Tanaka! Tanaka Ryunosuke.”

 

Kyoutani’s social skills are rusty as all hell, but he recognizes it as the attempt at conversation that it is. He doesn’t like most people- they’re superficial, too soft and they don’t share the same need to use all their might in everything they do like he does. Tanaka though, he’s...okay with. He’s wary still, but they remain earnest in their attempt to befriend him even when he looks away and kicks at the grassy ground.

 

“Kyoutani,” he manages to choke out.

 

Tanaka doesn’t ask anything else. The two sit in comfortable silence with occasional intermissions to check up on their respective dogs, which he’s thankful for. Tanaka isn’t pushy like Oikawa had been, and seems to get that he justs wants to chill out a little and let Rin do things on their own without him, since he depends on the damn dog way too much as it is. 

 

Distantly, he notices the sun is starting to go down. Damn.

 

There’s something akin to dread at the idea of going home he hasn’t felt before unless it was exams week that twists in his stomach. It leaves him confused, and frowning even deeper than usual as he watches other dog owners leave until it’s just him and Tanaka against the chain link fence watching their dogs play. 

 

And then, the quiet silence is broken.

 

“I should get going, my sis will get worried if I stay out too long.” Tanaka says quietly. It’s a goodbye, and the fact that it wrenches a wistfulness from his chest has nothing to do with the fact that Tanaka and Leo are leaving. Obviously. 

It’s got nothing to do with the fact that Tanaka is leaving. Of course.

 

“Leo!” Tanaka calls out, watching the german shepherd come to a skidding stop in front of his owner. “Leo, say goodbye to your friend. We have to go,” they tug, but Leo doesn’t budge until they bribe him with a treat. 

 

There’s a ball in his throat that he wishes he could ignore. Tanaka is nice, at the very least. Maybe, he thinks, he could be friends with them. He hopes so. Kyoutani wants to say something, chewing at his lip for a moment before managing to blurt it out

 

“Tanaka.”

 

Tanaka halts sharply halfway to the door, turning to face him and suddenly everything in him wishes he could flee. He sucks with people, he reminds himself. He shouldn’t say anything.

 

He says it anyways.

 

“Will I see you again?” Kyoutani asks, one hand curled against his border collie’s fur as a subtle distraction.

 

Tanaka’s eyebrows raise a little bit, and he braces himself for a no, but it doesn’t come. It’s quiet enough that he can hear cicadas chirp before he finally gets an answer “Yeah, probably. I can meet you this Friday?” his voice turns up at the end in a hesitant request.

 

It takes Kyoutani all of two seconds to blurt out a yes, and he’s eternally thankful he doesn’t stumble over his words like he did as a kid anymore.

 

“Yeah okay. I’ll see you Friday, Tanaka.”

 

They turn to leave, and he realizes he’s smiling.


	2. Second Time's a Charm?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> \----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's more on the way! The third chapter is done already and will be posted tomorrow night.

Kyoutani is surprised to find that instead of the usual dread at the idea of meeting people, he just gets more excited. Tanaka was nice enough, and he hopes their dogs can become playmates. It’d be good for Rin to have another big dog to play with, he reasons.

 

Even his mom has noticed. At dinner she remarks he looked excited after seeing Tanaka at the park. He’s sort of private, but he concedes that after so long of being a lone wolf, she would be excited.

 

He was right- she’s ecstatic at the prospect of him making friends. She hugs him and asks questions to which she only gets short, yes or no answers, but she seems happy nonetheless. She knows he’s quiet by now anyways, especially if he’s lost in thought.

 

She meets him at the door with a brief “Good luck! Have fun with your friend!” 

 

Kyoutani hadn’t had the time to change yet, since he wanted to get there early to meet Tanaka, so he’s still in his sweaty Aoba Johsai jersey, but he figures it’s not that big of a deal anyhow. Tanaka seems like the sort of guy to be intensely athletic like Kyoutani is. He hopes so anyways.

 

He heads out the door with Rin at his side, wagging her tail against his leg he feels like he might have bruises. He knows he won’t, logically, but it still hurts against his thigh a little bit until they start running and he takes the lead over her a little bit. His run today is a little longer, to calm his jangling nerves, almost eight miles through the city then some of the park. 

 

Kyoutani is early by a few minutes, but Tanaka and Leo are already there to his surprise. Tanaka doesn’t spot him for a moment till he turns around then 

 

“Oi bumblebee head! Our dogs have a date, remember?” It’s Tanaka, and usually the nickname would make him bristle but it’s said with a degree of affection that keeps his hackles from raising like they do when Oikawa says shit like that. He turns, slipping through the gate and letting Rin off her leash with a low laugh.

 

Tanaka just kind of stares for a minute, boring a metaphorical hole through his jersey. It makes him feel inexplicably anxious about it. Their expression turns from curiosity to concern to excitement in a matter of seconds though, and the ball in his stomach relaxes again.

 

“Aoba Johsai?” 

 

It’s phrased as a question, but he’s not sure what they’re asking. 

 

“Uh..yeah. What about it?”

 

“You play volleyball for Aoba Johsai and you didn’t tell me? Kyoutani, dude, we played your team last year!”

 

Last year...Kyoutani struggles to think of their opponents, all their strongest players. It clicks a few moments later, and his golden eyes go wide. Tanaka Ryuunosuke, from Karasuno, the one he wished he could’ve played beside. Their intensity matches his step to step, spike to spike like nobody else's ever had, and he remembers wishing he could play with him instead of against him.

 

“Karasuno,” he murmurs hesitantly, eyebrows furrowed. “You played for Karasuno, right?”

 

Tanaka grins, big and almost intimidating “Yeah. I play for Karasuno. Wing spiker.” A short pause, then a begrudging “You played well. Passionately, at least.”

 

Kyoutani just grunts in wordless assent, feeling unsure of what to say. He’s glad Rin skids to a stop beside him for treats, acting as a partial distraction from the aching hurt in his chest.

 

“I’m not playing anymore,” he says quietly.

 

Tanaka’s eyebrows raise sharply and he looks almost angry. “Dude, why not? You’re fantastic at what you do. You’re a little reckless, but your team wasn’t exactly supporting you. You can’t do everything on your own, Kyoutani.”

 

His frown sharpens at the edges, expecting Tanaka to back off. He knows his expression is scary to most people like this, but Tanaka just leans back in return, crowding into his space till they’re close to nose to nose, amber eyes narrowed at slate grey. 

 

“I can’t play for Aoba Johsai. I joined to make friends, and to make good on childhood aspirations but..I don’t get along with people there. Anywhere, I guess.” He doesn’t want the pity he knows is coming, so he backs off, backs down from Tanaka’s aggressive stance. 

 

“I didn’t used to be able to either, you know,” Tanaka says hesitantly, words carrying easily through the quiet air, broken only by the scuffle of their dogs running around the park. “Back in other schools, I never made friends. I’ve got the resting scary face, as Noya says,” he laughs.

 

“Yeah, you do. A little.”

 

“Are you heading back early?” Tanaka asks, expectant. He shakes his head, eyebrows furrowing “Do you want me to?” Kyoutani asks honestly, petting at his border collie’s black ears absently.

 

“No, I don’t.”

 

The sun is just starting to go down, and he hums quietly “We won’t have long either way. Look,” Kyoutani gestures at the sun, squinting against the glare of it. Tanaka frowns, but he nods nonetheless. “It was good to see you again, Kyoutani.” It’s not just words, he can tell Tanaka means it, which is just confusing.

 

“Want to meet up Sunday at two? We can take these two,” he gestures at their dogs “on a well deserved walk.” 

 

Tanaka seems genuine enough, and yet, he still searches for some hint of a missing piece to the puzzle, the tiniest bit of dislike towards him to latch onto. He finds none, and bizarrely feels like he’s left floundering in the midst of the storm that Tanaka makes him struggle with. 

 

“Or not! I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable,” Tanaka offers warily. 

 

He’s stared too long. Fuck. “No, I’d like to meet up. On Sunday,” he finishes in somewhat halting sentences, feeling warm all over with embarrassment. “If that’s still okay?”

 

Tanaka’s grin could rival the sun, he muses, squashed in a hug that he knows hurts a little, but it’s nice in its own way. Tanaka isn’t holding back, which is something he admires. 

 

“Fuck yeah it’s okay. I’ll see you on Sunday?”

 

The second that Tanaka is out of the park he realizes he’s smiling- wide and warm and  _ real _ for the first time since middle school. Tanaka isn’t making fun of him, they want to hang out with him, he realizes. He kind of wishes he had other friends who could talk him through how to become their friend, but he doesn’t, so he makes due by rambling to his dog on the way back. About worries, hopes, dreams, what’s for dinner- anything he thinks of. 

 

His mom seems shocked to see him smiling so big, like he did as a kid when he saw his volleyball idol on the TV, and even more shocked at the idea of it being over making friends. 

 

It’s not like he didn’t  _ want  _ to, he’s just not sure how to go about it. 

 

Tanaka is easy though, warm and friendly despite his scary disposition he’s kind of sweet in his own roundabout way. It’s nice, not to have his ear talked off by Oikawa, or be scolded by the coach. He relishes in the prospect of potentially playing volleyball with his fellow wing spiker someday, but for now he gets jittery as the week goes on.

 

He hits Oikawa in the head at practice Friday night. 

 

He hadn’t meant to, but he’d been distracted, thinking about seeing Tanaka and his german shepherd, Leo on Sunday. Both Oikawa and Coach had given him hell, but he can’t bring himself to care. Aoba Johsai didn’t need him as a wing spiker, or as a team member of any sort. 

 

He loves volleyball. Kyoutani really does, it’s been his stress relief since childhood, since seeing who many dubbed “bumblebee” on TV with powerful spikes that no blocker could touch, let alone block. In his childish idealism, he reasoned that he’d be like that too. 

 

Ace of Aoba Johsai, his ass.

 

Oikawa keeps bothering, teasing him about his bad aim almost all practice before he snaps. He spikes the ball down hard enough the smack resounds through the gym, and his palm stings like hell, but he doesn’t care.

 

“Ooh~ Mad dog-chan’s hackles are up!” Oikawa remarks, the nearly ever present smile on his face. Koutani’s scowl gets deeper, if that were possible. “I’m quitting. Permanently, this time,” he starts.

 

The only one who seems unsurprised is Iwazumi, which he’s thankful for.

 

“I’m transferring schools, to somewhere far away from you. I can’t work with you. Volleyball is a team game!”

 

“I get it, i’m not the easiest to work with. I’m pissy and moody and snappy all the time and like to intimidate the other team with sheer might instead of Oikawa’s careful strategies but. I tried to work with you, in my own way, but none of you would fucking back off about the fucking mad dog-chan bullshit. Stop bullying your other players just because they don’t fit in with you.”

 

Surprisingly eloquent, for him, he thinks.

 

Yahaba looks terrified, but the rest remain unphased as if they expect him to come back to them like the year before. Except last year, he was more unsure of himself. This year, he knows he’s a damn good player who will blossom under a proper team. If he can find one, he muses as he slips out of the gym. 

 

As the weekend passes, he runs as much as he can, occasionally catching glimpses of Tanaka with a blonde woman who looks like him- perhaps a sister. He wonders, distantly, if the two are close. They have the same sort of laugh and intimidating aura, so he reasons the two must hang out a lot. 

 

By Sunday, there’s two messages from Yahaba and at least four from Iwazumi that he refuses to even look at. He shuts his phone off, irritated.

 

Kyoutani is glad to get out of the house again just so he doesn’t think about how he might never play volleyball again. He hopes he can play volleyball a lot more, but he might not be so lucky. Few people get along with him. 


	3. Planting Seeds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> not literal planting of seeds

He takes the long route around the school to the park, and despite being early by at least five minutes Tanaka is already at the door waving at him

 

“Oi! Kyoutani!”

 

He steels himself- for what he’s not sure, but even that doesn’t prepare him for being bowled over by at least 150 pounds of muscle in an enthusiastic hug.

 

“It’s good to see you again. Miss me?” Tanaka tries for false flirty, and Kyoutani finds himself laughing, loud and uninhibited in the quiet air of the park.

 

“If I did?” He inquires, only half serious.

 

“Then we’d get together more often. I know you come here every night anyways, Kyoutani.”

 

He flinches at the accusation. He wants to deny it, but he doesn’t, knowing that Tanaka is right in this case. “Fair enough. Want to go? There’s a good path a few miles away,” he says “Leo would like it.”

 

Tanaka nods, clipping on Leo’s red leash again slips out of the dog park.

 

The walk is nice. It’s quieter here, and a welcome respite from the craziness of the city bustling around them. Kyoutani listens to the soft pad of their feet on the ground, a soft counterpoint to the birds chirping in the trees above him. 

 

“You seem drained,” comes the soft comment from the other second year and Kyoutani pauses for a moment before continuing to walk 

 

“How’d you know?”

 

“It’s your posture mostly. Usually your shoulders are up,” Tanaka stands still for a moment, shoulders a bit back. He realizes Tanaka is right- he usually does do that.

 

“But today you’re like,” he pauses for dramatic effect, then slumps his shoulders, looking tired.

 

“Oh,” Kyoutani says intelligently.

 

“Yeah.” Tanaka doesn’t push it, and part of him wishes he had. Instead, Kyoutani blurts it out without any warning

 

“I quit Aoba Johsai.”

 

Tanaka stops, eyebrows high on his head “What like, the school or the volleyball club?” he questions, sounding emotional. Kyoutani can’t tell the emotion though.

 

“Uh. Both?”

 

“Dude. Are you telling me you’re transferring somewhere else?!” Tanaka sounds excited, which really confuses him. “I mean...yeah? I don’t know where to though.” Tanaka looks kind of like he’s about to explode with excitement. It’s kind of the most funny thing ever, actually.

 

“Kyoutani, you should come to Karasuno!”

 

Woah, what? Wait. Him, going to Karasuno? With Tanaka?

 

“I...what?” He swallows thickly “What do you mean?”

 

“I mean we’re friends and I want you to come to my school, Kyoutani! It’s not rocket science.” Kyoutani would insist it’s worse than that.

 

“We’ve met twice at the dog park,” he deadpans. Tanaka just laughs “So? You can come over more often. We can sneak into the gym and practice, see your skills.”

 

Kyoutani’s fingers already itch for the ball in his hand, he realizes. He hadn’t noticed before.

 

“Fine. C’mon, we’re almost at the end of the walk,” he says gruffly, just to get out of the situation before he turn as red as a strawberry. Tanaka just hums, walking easily at his side and falling in step with him till they reach the bus stop in front of the dog park to part ways.

 

“Think about it,” Tanaka says sincerely and Kyoutani swallows.

 

“I will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one is so short! It's just a buildup to the next chapter though, don't worry!


	4. Starter Players

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> \----

Kyoutani, to his credit, does think about it. A lot.

 

Does he really want to go to Karasuno? Tanaka is great, but he got the sense they're popular on the team. He's not sure if Tanaka just asks out of courtesy- they don't seem the type though, or maybe they only want him for his skill in volleyball. But the two hadn’t met that way, so it wouldn’t make sense.

 

Tanaka seemed genuinely excited though, so he rules both of the ideas out. The entire week he feels like he's wading through honey, a little slower than usual and kind of confused.

 

He wants to go to Karasuno. Tanaka at the very least would be a friendly player to him, and he supposes that's something over Aoba Johsai. In honesty, even Shiratorizawa would be better than Aoba Johsai at this point. He wants to play with teammates that can put up with him, at least.

 

He talks to his mom about it, in brief, and gets a yes to the idea of switching schools. She looks proud of him for it, and he's thankful for that much. His mom always seeks to boost him up when she can, even in bad situations.

  
  


He didn't tell Tanaka to meet him, he realizes abruptly. Kyoutani had forgotten in the midst of everything, and now he curses himself. He goes to the park, hoping to find them, but comes up empty.

 

God, he feels dumb. 

 

Kyoutani finally takes a last ditch effort to find Tanaka again. He drags his bookbag over his shoulder, taking his mom's car to Karasuno. It's a smaller school than Aoba Johsai, but no less intimidating. It's quiet for a moment and he wonders if he'll ever find Tanaka here then there's the sharp noise of a good spike and cheering. Ah.

 

eering from a large, grey building. It’s probably the court then, he thinks, heading towards it even while everything in him is screaming to leave before he has to admit he’s missed their company at the dog park.

 

His hand hovers over the door handle, spotting the wing spiker inside. He pauses, cursing himself, and steels himself to be gawked at.

 

He drags the door open, acutely aware of the ball dropping out of setter’s hand in an atrocious set, impaired by the sight of him in their gym. It’s quiet for a moment, then Tanaka turns and raises his eyebrows. His expression is almost scary, to the point he enjoys it.

 

“Kyoutani Kentarou, what do I owe the pleasure?” both of them grin, big and scary to get a rise out of each other.

 

“I couldn’t find you. I wanna talk. About,” Kyoutani trails off for a moment, and their intimidating expression slips off their face as easily as it came

 

“Ohhh! Hey Daichi!!” Tanaka yells in another team members general direction. They all go outside, while Sugawara runs practice for them.

 

Everything is kind of overwhelming right now honestly.

 

“Tanaka you better have a pretty good reason that a member of the Aoba Johsai team is here, uninvited, during practice in my gym.”

 

Tanaka holds up his hands in surrender, nodding “Yeah yeah, I do Daichi-san.” They both round on Kyoutani, staring holes through his shirt “So, did you-”

 

“Yes,” Kyoutani cuts him off with a sharp frown, kicking the dusty ground. 

 

“Yesss,” Tanaka grins widely, and the bleached blonde gets enveloped in a hug that makes his ribs hurt a little. It’s still nice, enthusiastic though. “I can't wait. When are you transferring?” 

 

Kyoutani sighs “By next week. Bad timing, but oh well.” Tanaka hasn't stopped smiling. 

 

“So Daichi-san! This is Kyoutani. He played for Aoba Johsai, remember?” Tanaka inquires. Daichi frowns at the idea, nodding slightly “I remember yeah. 

 

“Well...the two of us are friends and he's transferring here.”

 

“And you want him on the volleyball team,” Daichi says flatly, unimpressed. “He’s shown as uncooperative to his team, Tanaka.”

 

“Daichi,” Tanaka says, quieter than Kyoutani has seen him in this setting. He looks serious too, which is unusual. Generally he just is intimidating. “Remember how his team was? They all fit together except him. Oikawa teased him a lot, and Yahaba wasn’t exactly great either, but he has a lot of potential as long as he has a team that he could thrive with. Daichi, please.”

 

Daichi frowns, quiet and serious, and Kyoutani feels oddly out of place until Tanaka’s hand squeezes his shoulder reassuringly. “Maybe. We’ll put him on as a reserve for now, unless he turns out to be really good.”

 

Tanaka grins, wide and happy and slings Daichi in a brief hug, then drags Kyoutani into it. It stinks like sweat and exertion, but he finds that he doesn’t mind so much this time. It doesn’t bother him like it does with anybody else.

 

“C’mon Kyoutani, if we don’t hurry up Suga-san will go mom-mode on us!”

 

He has no clue what “mom-mode” means, but he doesn’t question it. He can tell he intimidates a few of the players at first, especially Yamaguchi, the pinch server, and yet. The team as a whole is nice, greeting him with confused pride at the idea of him coming just to play alongside them. The excitable ginger middle blocker seems to be scared at first, but full of bravado, while his setter eyes him up like he’d love to eat him alive, but he suspects it’s just their default expression.

 

Playing alongside Tanaka is the unspoken subtext, but he thinks that some of them know, by how the blonde middle blocker is looking at him, and Sugawara is sneaking glances out of the corner of brown eyes at him. Some of the more excitable ones don’t seem to realize that, but he finds he doesn’t all that much.

 

This gym as a whole is much more welcoming, and despite how irritated he looks nearly constantly both Nishinoya and Tanaka praise him on a good spike, and despite Sugawara’s softer appearance they don’t hesitate to call him out on how to improve. On the Aoba Josai team, he’d be bristling if his setter tried to tell him to ease up, but Sugawara is much kinder about it, and genuinely seems to just want his improvement. 

 

His side loses the game, but he can’t find it in him to care all that much. He feels exhilarated to have played with Tanaka, matching him in intensity so easily it makes his blood boil with excitement over volleyball he’s not felt since childhood watching his favorite player deliver a particularly good spike. Nishinoya claps him on the shoulder, excitedly babbling over how powerful his spikes were, and how hard they were to receive. 

 

Sugawara pulls him out of the rabble of the other players, a cool hand curling around his wrist with a strong grasp despite how delicate they look compared to the other volleyball players. He’s guided out of the gym out the back, facing the shorter setter.

 

“You played well,” the silver haired one smiles, crinkling at the edges of his eyes. “Could you play a full game at full power with cut shots like that?”

 

Kyoutani thinks. In truth, he’s unsure.

 

“I’ve never played a full game before. I wasn’t a starter at Johsai, and I only got pulled in when we were in a pinch. I like playing with intensity though, and not being a starter irritated me,” he confesses, scratching at the back of his blonde dyed hair. 

 

“That’s fine!” Sugawara smiles, warm and friendly and not at all teasing like Oikawa was, and the defensive tenseness to his shoulders melts slowly. “We can work on your endurance then. Tanaka can work with you, I think the two of you have better chemistry than I expected.”

 

Kyoutani can  _ feel  _ himself go red at the slight compliment up to his ears. 

 

“Oi, Suga-san! Are you messing with Kyoutani?” Tanaka and Nishinoya poke their heads out the gym door, and Sugawara laughs

 

“Alright alright, you can go. I’ll talk to Daichi about putting you in the starter lineup somewhere.”

 

Though he doesn’t react apart from a quick duck of his blonde head and a lightening to his sharp scowl, he suspects the setter can tell how excited he is about it, because they leave pretty fast and all but shove him towards Tanaka.

 

Most of the team is gone, but Nishinoya and Tanaka are still there, with Asahi dragged along behind the little libero.  

 

“I’m going to be a starter player,” Kyoutani says, simultaneously proud and embarrassed. The sheer excitement from Nishinoya is a lot on its own, but paired with how Tanaka squeezes his midsection and picks him up, spinning around excitedly he feels sort of dizzy with excitement.

 

“Woaaaaaaah, that’s great! I wasn’t a starter till this year!” Tanaka grins, letting him down a moment later. Asahi gives brief praise, quieter than Nishinoya but nonetheless excited.

  
As he heads inside to his house later, he realizes he hasn’t felt this excited in a long time. The idea of becoming a starter player is something he’s always wanted since childhood, and playing with Tanaka was really fun. It’s been a while since volleyball has been  _ fun _ for him.


	5. Loose Ends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I promise i'm getting to the kyoutana stuff next chapter I promise!!!

He hasn’t been back to the volleyball club since he ran out a week back, but he sees his teammates- no, ex-teammates around school, in his advanced biology classes and his english classes. It puts a thorn there, something like wistfulness at seeing them so close without him.

 

He’s always been the lone wolf, never has been good at forming friendships. It still hurts though, being on the outside looking in through the glass. 

 

The second to last day he’s got left in Aoba Johsai, Oikawa fixes him with a look that makes his stomach queasy, not wanting to deal with Oikawa’s tendency to tease him. Yahaba seems angry at him for it, he guesses. The only one who seems to get it, is Iwazumi. The ace of the team just claps him on the shoulder and tells him to stick it out, that it’ll work out fine as he walks past. 

 

Kyoutani is slowly sure he’s drowning, wading through honey to get to the other side. Seeing Tanaka helps clear his head, keep him focused on pushing through, but he knows Oikawa will be pissed. Yahaba will probably be disappointed in him, but he tries not to think about that too much or he’ll get snappy. 

 

The last day, he’s on his way to leave, bag thrown over his shoulder to meet Tanaka at the dog park, but his path is blocked. Oikawa looks angry, staring down at him with his chin upturned on purpose just to look down at the wing spiker. Metaphorical hackles rise on both sides, Kyoutani staring up at the setter as if daring him to do anything. 

 

“Kyoutani,” Oikawa starts, pretty face turning into the same one he gets when he serves his jump serve. 

 

“What the fuck do you want, Oikawa?” he all but snarls, chin raised to look them in the eye just right. “I’m leaving the team, what more do you  _ want _ you absolute dickwad?” 

 

Maybe his anger is getting the best of him, but it rises like bile from all the times he’d been left out, forgotten on the bench or not invited to team events. His eyes spark the same way they always do when he’s angry, but Oikawa doesn’t care. Oikawa cares about him team, not Kyoutani himself, purposeful or not.

 

“You’re a good spiker, Kyoutani. You need to sharpen your claws, Aoba Johsai can help you do that.”

 

“Bullshit,” he spits out.

 

“Leave me the hell alone, Oikawa.”

 

Iwazumi comes running from the distance, gently pulling the two apart, seeming to easily dispel the tension despite the tense arch of Kyoutani’s shoulders. Oikawa stops staring, and he gets a brief handshake from Iwazumi, then after a moment he gets a hug, pressed up against the only member of his team who seemed to understand what he needed. 

 

“Kyoutani, good luck. You’ll kill it at Karasuno. I’ll watch your matches,” he promises.

  
  


He doesn’t want to deal with being late to meeting with Tanaka again, so he runs back to his house, grabs the leash and yells a quick “I’m going out with Tanaka, text me if you need anything mom!” into the darkness of the house. She’s probably home, just in her room. 

 

He runs fast as he can without getting tired, lungs aching when he stops for breath, spotting the little dog park. Tanaka is already there, and he taps their shoulder and spares a quiet laugh at how they jump up in surprise.

 

“Kyoutani! Yo, I was worried you weren’t coming.”

 

He shakes his head vehemently “I got held up by Oikawa and Iwazumi. Good wishes and whatnot.” That’s only a partial lie, at least.

 

“Bullshit you did,” Tanaka snorts, squeezing his shoulder then bending down to coo at Kyoutani’s dog. “What actually happened?”

 

He grimaces. Tanaka can read him pretty well, surprisingly, for all they seem unobservant as hell. 

 

“Oikawa wanted me to come back on the team.”

 

“Did you?”

 

“Of course not. I don’t want to play somewhere I can’t succeed.” Tanaka seems to know he doesn’t want it pushed, easily drifting into other topics like how Hinata and Kageyama (He has to describe him as an angry blueberry before he remembers what the setter looks like) are coming along teamwork-wise, and how he bought a little plushie for Hinata’s younger sister, Natsu, who absolutely loves him.

 

Kyoutani has enjoyed himself, yes, but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t focusing on the other boys lips moving, how it would feel to kiss them out in the warm air. God, he doesn’t even know if Tanaka likes  _ guys _ let alone him. 

 

This crush is spiraling out of control, he thinks, staring at the patterns of shadows on his ceiling that night.

  
  



	6. Storm in a Teacup

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> \----

Kyoutani transfers over the next week. He expected he’d need to go find Tanaka, but the other wing spiker seems to find  _ him  _ instead, searching him out the first day he’s there and walks him to his classes despite his quiet insistence that he doesn’t need them to. 

 

Tanaka is really nice, insisting that he’ll show Kyoutani around and let him sit with him during lunch, out under a tree in the sunshine. Tanaka is intense, in every sense of the word, but it’s not bad. Kyoutani is shit with people, and yet Tanaka spends time with him, shares food from his lunch and lets him practice extra after normal volleyball practice ends with him. 

 

Though he doesn’t say it, Kyoutani is really grateful.

 

After the first few weeks things settle down again into a routine. Tanaka and Kyoutani become inseparable in the same way Kageyama and Hinata are. Nishinoya and Asahi often join them to study on Tuesdays at Kyoutani’s, and often Kyoutani and Tanaka take their dogs out together to the country to let them out on a real trail.

 

Kyoutani is slowly growing less quiet.

 

He’s opening up, little by little. He blossoms, like a flower, finally showing his true colors. Kyoutani admits his favorite foods, that he doesn’t like the color purple and loves the color yellow, that he actually likes hugs and that he wants to become a veterinarian. That he doesn’t like coffee, but he likes green tea. Silly things, small and seemingly insignificant, but it’s more open than he’s ever been with someone before. But unlike previous times he’s opened up, he doesn’t feel afraid of it. 

 

In return, Tanaka opens to him, welcoming him into a unique friendship that seemed unlikely. Kyoutani is pretty quiet, but he’s intense in the same way Tanaka is, and the two of them become a fearsome duo to rival even Asahi’s position as ace of the team. 

 

Kyoutani has Tanaka in his phone now, keeps it on solely in case the wing spiker needs him, but he’s still surprised to receive a call at seven am in the morning on a Saturday, when he knows Tanaka isn’t usually up then. He picks up despite just getting out of the shower, with food in his mouth and mumbles a hello.

 

It’s quiet, but he feels his heart shatter up into little pieces. Tanaka is crying.

 

He doesn’t know how to deal with this. He desperately wishes he knew how to comfort them, but he doesn’t. Kyoutani swallows the bite of food.

 

“Kyou,” Tanaka sounds upset and breathless and shaky, and everything in his aches to bury them in his arms until Tanaka isn’t hurting anymore. 

 

“Yeah, i’m here. What’s going on, Tanaka?” He keeps his voice soft, though it still is a little bit rough. He’s actually really worried because he’s never seen Tanaka cry before.

 

“I need- can I come over, I need to get out of the house, it’s my dad.” 

 

His frown only deepens. Tanaka’s dad is sort of absent, and highly critical of anything Tanaka does, which makes him burn with anger, wanting to snap at them. 

 

“Yeah, sure. Of course. Do you want me to stay on the phone?”

 

Tanaka chokes on a sob, then whispers “Yes please.”

 

Tanaka isn’t weak, and he knows that. He can take care of himself, he’s strong and capable, and Kyoutani doesn’t need to protect him, even now. He loves that Tanaka doesn’t need him, that Tanaka is strong on his own without Kyoutani and yet the other wing spiker wants him anyhow. 

 

It doesn’t take long for there to be a short knock on his door, and he scrambles to open it, shutting off his phone. His heart hurts, conveniently reminding him that Tanaka is his crush, that they trust him enough to deal with this.

 

“Hey,” Kyoutani say quietly, letting Tanaka fall against him like water in a hug that’s softer than the others. He’s never seen Tanaka upset like this before, and it hurts more than he expected. He’s angry, but that takes a back burner to his worry.

 

“Hi,” Tanaka manages to say, watery against his neck. 

 

“Come in, you’ll only stay cold if we stand here,” Kyoutani offers gruffly, embarrassed. He shuts and locks his door, taking Tanaka’s hand and squeezing hard.

 

“You don’t have to explain right now, or at all, but if you want to talk I can listen. I’m shit at dealing with people, but I care about you,” he says, thumb rubbing the back of their hand as he guides them into his bedroom. Tanaka is obviously worn out, so he piles soft blankets on his bed and curls them around the two of them, letting Tanaka press into his lap with a shaky noise.

 

“My dad hurt Saeko,” he explains softly after some time just sobbing into his shirt. 

 

White hot anger courses through Kyoutani’s veins and he has to remind himself not to march over there and punch Tanaka’s dad. He wants to, desperately, but he’s gained restraint since joining the Karasuno team.

 

“Is she okay? With a friend or something?” he asks, stroking down Tanaka’s back in hopes of stopping their post-sob hiccups. 

 

“Yeah, she’s. With a friend, at college.”

 

“Okay. Did he hurt you too?” he murmurs, lazily nudging Tanaka a little closer in his lap to get comfy. 

 

“No. Saeko wouldn’t have let him ever.”

 

Kyoutani nods, letting their hands cling to his shirt without comment. “Good.”

 

Tanaka falls asleep like that, tangled up with the other wing spiker in the blankets with Tanaka’s nose tucked against his neck, breathes puffing against Kyoutani’s skin. It’s a little too warm with Tanaka so close, radiating heat like a space heater beneath the sheets, but Kyoutani can’t bring himself to move away when Tanaka is clearly trusting him to stay.

 

He doesn’t sleep, that night, until after Tanaka wakes up and Kyoutani can get him to eat and drink.

 

Tanaka sleeps over, taking up most of his bed sprawled out like a starfish beneath the sheets, and Kyoutani can’t bring himself to be irritated that he has to take the couch and wakes up with an irritating ache in his back. 


	7. When I'm Ready

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Geez this one took a long time to finish, I had some KILLER writer's block for a few months, but finally started getting back into the swing of it! I'm done with chapter eight as well and will probably post it in the next few weeks. Thanks to all of you who've been cheering me on and commenting! It keeps me going :D

After that, things change.

 

The two become intertwined together hopelessly, never without each other at their side if the two can help it. Tanaka sleeps over on nights his father becomes a problem, and in turn Kyoutani opens up about his own troubles, beneath the cover of darkness cut through only by moonlight and twinkling stars, cicadas chirping incessantly outside. 

 

And gradually, Kyoutani makes friends, for the first time in a very long time.

 

It starts with Nishinoya, loudly asking him questions during lunch while the blonde is pressed against Tanaka’s side. Favorite colors, animals, what he thinks about school, if his parents are nice. Does he have siblings, why does he do his hair like that, dumb things that seem inconsequential. 

 

Until his birthday, which he’d been (secretly) looking forwards to. Maybe, he thought, someone would remember it.

 

He’d been right.

 

The entire  _ fucking  _ volleyball club threw him a party after school, with Nishinoya and Tanaka at the center of it all, looking smug as hell. 

 

He expects white-hot anger to course through him, learning that Nishinoya had asked him questions to do this, but it doesn’t come. Instead something warm blossoms in his chest, that makes him duck his head and smile, hugging everyone (Even Hinata, Tsukishima, who he isn’t fond of.) He doesn’t get to Tanaka for a long time, but that’s okay, somehow, he thinks. 

 

When he does finally get out of the throng of other club members, he hugs Tanaka tight enough he’s sure it hurts, but they don’t seem displeased. Instead, Tanaka returns it just as tight, crushing his ribs. 

 

“Thanks,” Kyoutani murmurs quietly.

 

“I’m glad you like it. I thought you might be mad that I kept it a secret.”

 

The party was good, he thinks. But this is better, being at Tanaka’s side like he belongs there, walking out of the gym together and picking up his dog, Rin, before the two of them settle in for a long run, trying to outdo each other, to run faster. By the time they reach the dog park both of them are out of breath, and take a moment to catch their breath.

 

There’s an effortless sort of comfort in being with Tanaka. Neither of them  _ need _ each other, they aren’t dependant, and they’re both fantastic on the court on their own. Kyoutani blossoms, bonds with first Sugawara then- much more slowly, more dubious, with Kageyama. He disliked Kageyama at first, afraid he’d be too much like Oikawa because of his natural talent as setter, but the two formed a hesitant understanding that they can work together. 

 

Of course, he still isn’t connected to Kageyama in the way that Hinata is, but that’s alright. The setter sends him what he needs when he needs it to get the points. 

 

Kyoutani and Tanaka form a mean duo on the team, both of them killer spikers with a fantastic first-tempo synchronized attack that almost always pulls the team out of a tight spot. 

 

Before he knows it, second year is over and summer is there. Tanaka doesn’t let Kyoutani slack off of running with their dogs though, and he gets invited over. It’s childishly simple, watching TV together on late nights and gouging themselves on take-out, but it makes the hesitant warmth in his stomach curl up and lick at his heels. Amidst all the sleepovers and late nights staying out till well after curfew, he sort of realizes he genuinely enjoys Tanaka. They’re intense, always pushing him to be better than he is now, but the two of them have a lot of fun together.

 

He’s not exactly sure of  _ when _ it happens, but Kyoutani is positive that in hindsight he’s really attracted to them. 

 

Maybe it’d been their eyes, sharp and intense like a crow, or how Tanaka grins and slings their arm over his shoulder. The pinkness of their lips, or how fucking strong they feel when they hug him, or maybe it’d been how he’ll wake up tangled like vines against them even when it’s hot outside. Maybe it’d been the heavy press of their frame against his on movie nights or the softer face they have when they fall asleep against his shoulder watching TV. The sharpness of their teeth when they smile, perhaps. He’s not sure.

 

All Kyoutani is sure of is that the second he’s truly aware of it, he panics. Tanaka is the link for him, to all his other friends at Karasuno, and he’s sure they’d side with him if it came to blows. There’s bile in his throat even thinking about it. This is the first time his intimidating appearance doesn’t bother people, and that he has genuine friends that hang out with him and do stupid shit. 

 

He’d hoped that it’d go unnoticed, that he’s less touchy, and more like he used to be. Of course it wasn’t, because he has friends who care a lot about him now. Nishinoya notices first, sending longer glances his way as if to ask if he’s alright, and offering to share food or go on runs when he avoids Tanaka. 

 

Then Ennoshita picks it up, going out of his way to include the blonde in their doubles matches and treating him to dinners at the local diner. Kyoutani is endlessly thankful for the support they offer, even if it’s accompanied by worried glances and hesitant brushes of shoulders against his. 

 

It couldn’t have gone on like this forever, so it’s unsurprising that Nishinoya drags him by the arm all the way to their house, only giving him a harsh look when Kyoutani starts a halfhearted protest. Nishinoya means business, when he looks like that. That’s how he looks when he get a particularly good save, when he’s virtually untouchable on the court. 

 

The door slams behind his shorter friend, air whooshing in behind the door, hearing the lock click. Nishinoya’s brown eyes are sharp, chin tilted proudly as if expecting a fight 

 

“Kyoutani,”

 

He grunts, looking down at the tiles on the floor. Nishinoya looks angry, eyebrows turned down as if he could burn holes into the bleach blonde’s skin just by staring. 

 

“I know,” he snarls, irritable. “I know i’m a shit friend for just,” Kyoutani gestures vaguely “Ignoring him like this i’m not  _ good  _ with people, Nishinoya.”

 

The shorter one squeezes his shoulder, hesitant. Nishinoya understands that he isn’t the best person, he hasn’t had a lot of friends before this. That, even if he’s not the best friend, he’s trying to be better than he was.

 

“I didn’t say anything yet, Kyoutani,” the libero snorts, clapping his shoulder. 

 

“I wasn’t going to say that to you. You’re not a bad friend, Kyoutani, I just don’t get it. Why are you avoiding him? He hasn’t done anything wrong, and you guys haven’t argued that i’ve seen.”

 

Kyoutani chews viciously at his lip as if maybe if he tears it apart he won’t have to answer. His lip hurts, and his canines dig into the sore skin he’s since made a habit of chewing at when he’s nervous. Nishinoya ruffles his blonde hair, slow, as if in an effort to comfort him a little.

He needs to spit it out.

 

Kyoutani shakes his head to free himself off his thoughts, huffing out a low breath through his teeth. 

 

“Tanaka is decent,” he spits out finally, venom in his words. It doesn’t come out right, but Nishinoya understands how he talks by now. There’s a full body flush bleeding up to the tips of his ears, and he curses that the little jewelry he got over summer makes that even more obvious. 

 

“You like him, don’t you?” Nishinoya inquires 

 

Kyoutani puffs up, baring his teeth and pulling his eyebrows together like a wild animal, posturing in an effort to seem less afraid. After a moment of realizing that Nishinoya has no intent to make fun of him for it, the expression fades to be replaced by something more fragile.

 

“...Yeah. He’s strong. I admire how he carries himself.” The response is short and clipped, but it’s telling for Kyoutani, who rarely says anything if unprompted. 

 

“You should tell him, you know. Tanaka has been a mess, thinking he screwed up your friendship somehow. I don’t know if he’s gay, but, you should tell him.”

 

The wing spiker shakes his head.

 

“Maybe one day. I’ll tell him when i’m ready.”

 

Nishinoya looks greatly unhappy at the idea, but there’s little they can do to stop him. It’s not their place to tell Tanaka and he knows it too. 

 

He stays over with the libero that night, talking in hushed whispers about dumb shit. He regrets it in the morning because he has a pounding headache too, but that’s not a big deal. Nishinoya might be loud and all together a little too much for him at times, but he’s a good player and he genuinely cares about all the players. Privately, he thinks he’s glad that Nishinoya figured it out first.

 

Maybe there’d been others who knew before him, but none of them dared to talk to him before Nishinoya. 


	8. Graduation

When he’s ready turns out not to be at the end of summer. Or the start of break. Or New Years. Or the first time it snows and Tanaka bundles up at his house and eats badly made cookies from the gas station down the street. It isn’t all the way till graduation that he realizes time has caught up with him.

 

The two of them aren’t going to universities that are super far away, but it’s so easy to grow apart. Kyoutani is afraid, afraid of losing the only person who’s bothered to peel his layers back all the way and take the time to know him. 

 

The end of graduation, and his pinky grasps Tanaka’s

 

“Can we talk? Before..” Kyoutani gestures at the graduation stage vaguely to express his concern, earning a nod from Tanaka. 

 

“Yeah.“

 

Tanaka sounds a little choked, uncertain and wobbly in the back of his throat. His heart stabs sharply in his chest, and Kyoutani swallows it back in hopes of ignoring how goddamn much he cares about this asshole. 

 

The two walk, slower than before now that they're away from the chaos of graduation. Itś quieter here, the pace unusually hesitant between the two of them. Tanaka is pouting, eyebrows furrowed up like he wants to stop himself from getting upset. Heś positive that the two of them look extremely odd like this, faces screwed up, but people passing don´t spare more than a glance. 

 

Kyoutani half opens his mouth but does not manage to get anything else because he's getting hugged so tight that his ribs ache a little bit, and he feels the air in his lungs puff out through his mouth. 

 

“Tanaka?“ he wheezes out in surprise, rough palms patting their shoulder.

 

“Dude, you gotta text me all the time. I´m gonna miss you so much, stupid.“

 

Kyoutani snorts. Of course Tanaka would be so dramatic, and just as scared as he is of losing contact. The two are best friends, it makes sense.

 

It makes his chest hurt in an entirely not platonic way, though, feeling them shake against him and drag him up onto their forearms to hug him. Heś pretty sure that crushing on a best friend is pretty high on the “Don´t Do“ list as a best friend, but it just

 

Slips out.

 

“Tanaka, I'm in love with you.“

 

It suddenly feels a lot more scary.

 

For all he knows, Tanaka is straight, for all that he swoons over girls. Tanaka hasn ever shown the interest he has- that he's noticed at least. His chest hurts, and he is crying when steel grey eyes meet his, rough hands cupping his cheeks to keep him there. 

 

Itś a terrible first kiss.

 

Thereś the salt of tears, their noses bump and it's not exactly what he dreamed of but it´s Tanaka and that's really all he can ask for. Teeth catch on his lip and there's a murmured “Sorry,“ into the kiss. Kyoutani can feel his nose smushed to theirs a bit uncomfortable, and the healing split on his lip from falling on the pavement kind of hurts, but he doesn't shift away.

 

The two part, rough fingers shifting from wiping tears away to curling against their scalp. 

 

“Are you sure you--?“ Kyoutani is cut off by a swift, uncoordinated press of lips against his. It’s bruising, though unintentional in its harshness. Tanaka is rough, fingers digging into his scalp just below the twin black lines in his hair to keep him from jolting away. The harshness is smoothed by a flicker of tongue against his lip, softer than he deigned possible. 

 

Maybe he’s been kissing the wrong people, he thinks, because kissing Tanaka is so good. It’s good. Better than good, warm and wet and slow. Even with the tears lingering on their lips and the sloppy nudge of noses, it’s the best kiss he’s ever had.

 

It’s not magical, it doesn’t feel like fireworks or soft hazy sunlight, but it’s Tanaka and maybe that’s why. There’s no pretense that Kyoutani has to shave down his harsh edges, or that he has to automatically be okay at it. 

 

“What- um, Tanaka?” he’s frowning sharply, unsure of himself. 

 

“I’m in love with you too, stupid.”

 

“You know, I kind of fucking figured considering your tongue was just in my mouth,” Kyoutani snarks, grasping the front of Tanaka’s graduation gown to kiss him again.

 

\-----------------

 

The two of them graduate together later that day, taking pictures together while Hinata cries, unhappy to see them leave. Both of them promise to come back for future games, though. If how Tsukishima’s eyes twinkle at the idea of seeing them in the stands goes unnoticed, well, then that’s fine. 

 

Neither of them will comment on it, but the former first years have all grown into their roles incredibly well. Yamaguchi’s confidence has grown incredibly under Ennoshita’s leadership, enough that all of them have appointed him to be captain the next year. 

 

Though it’s more out of necessity than anything, if they’re honest. Tsukishima and Kageyama couldn’t encourage a toothbrush, and though Hinata is absolutely their future ace and lovely at encouraging others, he’s not able to kick their asses in gear when it comes down to it. Yamaguchi understands a lot of points of view, and though he’s fantastic at encouraging others, he’s kicked even Tsukishima’s ass into gear, so they all think he’ll do okay.

 

With Tsukishima as vice-captain especially, he should be okay. Kyoutani isn’t very worried about him.

 

He’s grateful to the Karasuno volleyball team during his time there, and the large group of friends they all have. It’d been the first friends he had, and he’s not ashamed to admit that there’d been some tears during their going away party. 

 


End file.
